Etiquette for handicapped parking
Q: I need information on our handicapped parking law. I have a handicapped parking permit, and the other day I was about to pull into a handicapped parking space and I was told by an individual standing there that the space was being reserved for another handicapped person. This upset me because I was there first. How can this be avoided in the future?

Q and A
Q: How do I know if I am eligible for the $3,900 in savings with the Medicare prescription drug program?

One of county's oldest residents dies
Frances Orlando, a resident of Anastasia Island since 1994, passed away on June 20, 2009, at Community Hospice in Jacksonville. Orlando, who turned 105 in January, was one of the oldest residents of St. Johns County.

Bookmobile service offers variety
Leslie Goode, senior library assistant for St. Johns County's Bookmobile Service, tells me I'm a hard man to track down. Someone hasn't been reading their free St. Augustine Record at the Main Branch every second and fourth Thursday. Connect me to the reference department -- is "tsk-tsk" really a word?

McMahon gets salute from Conan
LOS ANGELES -- "Tonight" host Conan O'Brien paid tribute to Ed McMahon as a "truly funny man" whose partnership with Johnny Carson on the late-night show is an indelible part of TV history.

Don't be afraid to ask
We appreciate the fishing photos and reports some of you have sent in. Don't stop. You can e-mail them to creekrat@bellsouth.net. We also have a Fishing Line at 819-3461. You can call that number 24 hours a day and leave fishing reports, questions or upcoming events we can help you with.

Make savory spaghetti squash pancakes
Dinner together can be scary. I so want to report success for all of you, to give you dishes that have pushed the envelope while making my family better, happier eaters.

New twists on old favorites
To celebrate its 70th anniversary, Old Bay seasonings is spicing things up by introducing twists on classic dishes that offer great new ways to enjoy the bold seasoning and are reminiscent of decades past.

Fire up the grill
When the burgers and frankfurters are done, keep the grill going for dessert.

Serve up some of AJ's Steak Diane
Attention, all pyro maniacs. If you enjoy catching things on fire, then you'll enjoy making Steak Diane. My version of an easy yet classical recipe can be enjoyed by all in the comfort of your very own home.

Life Line screening scheduled
St. Augustine residents can be screened to reduce their risk of having a stroke or bone fracture during the Life Line screening on Monday at The Watson Realty Corp., 175 Hampton Point Drive.

Solutions for excessive sweating
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I got hit with hyperhidrosis about two years ago. I go to the doctor every six months and, in my opinion, it gets worse with every visit. Please let me hear from you. -- A.F.

Dr. Donohue: Prostate cancer can be detected
PSA -- prostate specific antigen -- is a blood test devised for the early detection of prostate cancer. It's not a foolproof test. Sometimes it's high when there is no cancer, and sometimes it's low when there is cancer.

FCTC team lends a hand
Students from First Coast Technical College's medical assistant program helped support Hydro Aluminum's goal to keep employees healthy while in the workplace by offering well-being services of blood pressure screening for hypertension, cholesterol testing for potential heart disease, and diabetes glucose testing.

Health benefits face possible tax
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama left the door open to a new tax on health care benefits Wednesday, and officials said top lawmakers and the White House were seeking $150 billion in concessions from the nation's hospitals as they sought support for legislation struggling to emerge in Congress.

Michael Jackson dies in hospital
LOS ANGELES -- Michael Jackson, the sensationally gifted child star who rose to become the "King of Pop" and the biggest celebrity in the world only to fall from his throne in a freakish series of scandals, died Thursday. He was 50.

Senators claim $1 trillion health bill in reach
WASHINGTON -- Senators working to give President Barack Obama a comprehensive health care overhaul said Thursday they had figured out how to pare back the complex legislation to keep costs from crashing through a $1 trillion, 10-year ceiling.

California fails to close deficit
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A plan to begin closing California's $24 billion budget deficit failed Wednesday, as legislative leaders planned to work through the weekend to avoid a cash crisis when the new fiscal year starts next week.

Athlete's story catches eye of Vatican miracle investigator
WICHITA, Kan. -- People in Colwich, Kan., like to touch Chase Kear's arm or his shoulder with their fingers. Or they hug him. "Miracle Man," they say. "Let me touch the miracle." With anybody else in Colwich, this would be just talk. But it's not just talk to the Vatican.

Burmese pythons slithering up north
AIKEN, S.C. -- One by one, seven slithering Burmese pythons were dumped into a snake pit surrounded by 400 feet of reinforced fence at the Savannah River Ecology Lab in South Carolina.

S.C. governor admits to affair
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- After going AWOL for seven days, Gov. Mark Sanford admitted Wednesday that he had secretly flown to Argentina to visit a woman with whom he was having an affair.

Church posts gay exorcism video online
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- The video shows the 16-year-old boy lying on the floor, his body convulsing, as elders of a Connecticut church cast a "homosexual demon" from his body.

House debates new panel
WASHINGTON -- A committee in the House of Representatives began breaking down the Obama administration's financial-regulation revamp into separate parts Wednesday, promising to pass a proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency by the end of July.

'Anomalies' found in D.C. track
WASHINGTON -- Investigators are focusing on a stretch of track near the site of a deadly commuter train crash after finding abnormalities Wednesday in vital equipment that detects passing trains and transmits speed and stop commands.

Traffic pattern to change on W. King
The direction of traffic on West King Street is scheduled to change from eastbound to westbound on Monday. Only westbound traffic will be permitted between U.S. 1 and the Palmer Street and Pellicer Lane intersection.

Teaching new tricks
Palm Bay resident Mary Gray was surfing the Internet when she came across a new offering at Marineland -- a dolphin and dog training course.

Mosquito board: Spraying was safe
After 20 inches of rain in late May, Anastasia Mosquito Control District used helicopters during the first two weeks of June to spray an adulticide called Dibrom over 100,000 acres of St. Johns County.

Bridge of Lions gains center span
The Bridge of Lions reached a new milestone early Wednesday morning when workers fitted the new east-side center span, a visible sign that completion of the bridge is nearing.

Highway signage approved
The William Bartram Scenic Highway has a logo: a sailboat gliding across the St. Johns River with wildflowers and a tree in the foreground.

Letter: Try other solutions before raising taxes
Editor: There have been a series of town hall meetings sponsored by St. Johns County to explain the budget shortfalls that the county is experiencing today. Although numerous factors have contributed, urban sprawl is the major cause.

County clerk meets economic crisis head on
St. Johns County Clerk of the Courts Cheryl Strickland wears many hats. She's Clerk of the Courts, collector of fees and fines, head of the county's finance office, and in charge of all the minutes and records for county government. As with other government officials, she faces many challenges this year with changes in state law and the continued economic downturn.

What others say
The (Fort Myers) News Press, on how "backpumping" by farmers could cause damage to Florida Everglades:

Thuggery 101
President Barack Obama came into office apparently believing that his non-traditional background, charisma and good intentions could placate dictators hostile to America and ease global tensions.

Join July 5 rally against D.C. power
Editor: My dear fellow Americans, have we had enough? The corrupt in Washington have seized power and wealth in unprecedented proportions. Will we just sit back and say, "Oh well?"

Letter: Gov't should cut costs as taxpayers have
Editor: As our property values went up and up for years St. Augustine and St. Johns County governments had no problems deciding where to spend the resulting increased tax revenue. Now we are in hard economic times and they cannot make the difficult decisions required to balance our budget.

Column: Saving the Voting Rights Act
1The decision granting an Austin, Texas, utility district relief from having to prove it no longer discriminates by race was a deftly nuanced means of advancing justice in one instance, while acknowledging that the sins of the past still bear watching.

Editorial: Budding artists worthy of help
Who would expect to find a group of budding artists -- seven years old to near 80 years old -- in the Hastings public library?
Who would? Well, Hastings librarian Harold George, for one. James (Eddie) White, for another.

Police Reports
The following was compiled from police reports collected from the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office (SJCSO):

ACLU sues government
INDIANAPOLIS -- Two Muslim inmates held in a special unit at the U.S. prison in Terre Haute say they aren't allowed to pray in groups as often as their religion requires and have asked a federal judge to ease limitations on worship imposed by the Bureau of Prisons.

Volunteer packers sought
Officials of the St. Augustine-Baracoa Friendship Association have extended their thanks for which is described as the overwhelming response to an appeal for donations for the humanitarian mission in Cuba. The result is that "we are overflowing with suitcases, sheets, bicycles, shoes, scrubs, educational materials, and a myriad of needed things for the people of Cuba," according to the report.

Matins is this morning at St. Photios shrine
Shrine chaplain, the Rev Father Nikitas Theodosion, will celebrate matins, Divine Liturgy and services at 9 a.m. today at the St. Photios Shrine, St. George Street. The services is in memory of the first Orthodox colonists of Greek descent who came from the Mediterranean countries of Greece, Corsica, and Italy with the Minorcans in 1768.

Thomas to be UU speaker
"Southern Fried Dharma, Paramitas and Beatitudes" by Billy Thomas is the topic for the Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.

Prayer booth in city hall
WARREN, Mich. -- The Freedom from Religion Foundation is protesting a Detroit suburb's decision to allow a prayer booth at City Hall.

Obama to meet the pope while in Italy for G-8
VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI and President Barack Obama will meet on July 10, a much-anticipated Vatican audience with a president under attack by some American bishops for his support of abortion rights.

Barber leads at State Amateur
For playing in his first Florida State Amateur, Lake City's Blayne Barber looked like an experienced veteran Thursday, recording a 5-under 67 on the Sawgrass Country Club course to earn a share of the first-round lead.

Local Watch
The St. Augustine Little League all-star teams were announced

HS coach of Jags C fatally shot in Iowa
Tragedy struck on the home front again for Jaguars center Brad Meester, who learned today that his former high school coach Ed Thomas, was shot dead earlier this morning.

The Rant
The NBA draft is just a sibling of the NFL draft. In fact, it's like seventh youngest brother in a family of eight. Regardless, that was the big story on Thursday.

Magic expect simple draft
Even though the Orlando Magic don't have a pick in Thursday night's NBA draft, they could stay busy.

Unfinished Business
Looking back more than a month later, the St. Augustine High School junior put together nothing less than a marvelous effort, qualifying for the state meet in three separate events.

Brewers top Twins, Red Sox stop Nats
MILWAUKEE -- Jason Kendall's two-out double in the eighth inning tied the game, and he came around to score after two errors on the play to give Milwaukee a 4-3 victory over Minnesota on Wednesday night.

Golf: Perry cards record, leads by 2
CROMWELL, Conn. -- Kenny Perry shot a 61 to tie the course record and take a two-shot lead after the first round of the Travelers Championship on Thursday.

Local Watch
The Elite 40 Advanced Skill baseball camp has openings available for kids ages 10-12. The camp starts Sunday at 6 p.m. at the Flagler Field Complex and continues Jun. 29-July 1 from 9 a.m.-noon. The cost is $125. For more information, call Dave Barnett at 819-6253 or 797-6432. ...

Venus cruises by at Wimbledon
WIMBLEDON, England -- Venus Williams ambled onto sun-splashed Court 1 at Wimbledon on Thursday, a slight hitch in her step and an odd-looking wrap around her left knee. White tape here, brown tape there.

Justices reject appeal of Jimmy Ryce's killer
TALLAHASSEE -- The Florida Supreme Court rejected another appeal Thursday from a Cuban immigrant sentenced to death for murdering 9-year-old Jimmy Ryce, namesake of a state law that keeps dangerous sexual predators in custody after they finish their prison terms.

Proctor to seek veto override
State Rep. Bill Proctor (R-St. Augustine), sponsor of the "consumer choice" insurance bill in the House, said he plans to refile the measure soon and hopes his fellow legislators will join him in overriding Gov. Charlie Crist's veto.

Sink flew family on state plane
TALLAHASSEE -- Florida's Chief Financial Officer may have made extra stops on the state plane to pick up or drop off family members while conducting state business, travel records show.

Fla. nanny charged with molesting 10-year-old boy
MONTPELIER, Vt. -- An investigation into a nanny charged with molesting a 10-year-old boy in Vermont is broadening after police discovered he may have looked for nanny and summer camp jobs in 13 other states.

35,000-year-old flute discovered in Germany
BERLIN -- A bird-bone flute unearthed in a German cave was carved some 35,000 years ago and is the oldest handcrafted musical instrument yet discovered, archaeologists say, offering the latest evidence that early modern humans in Europe had established a complex and creative culture.

U.S. undeterred
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration has concluded the risk of a security collapse in Iraq is too slight to slow plans for withdrawing U.S. troops.

More than 75 die in Iraq bombing
BAGHDAD -- A powerful bomb killed more than 75 people Wednesday night at a market in Sadr City, Baghdad's main Shiite neighborhood, casting doubt on the readiness of Iraq's security forces to keep a latent insurgency in check as U.S. troops pull out of the capital and other cities.

U.S. general gives new view of Afghan war
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan -- U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal said Wednesday U.S. and other NATO troops must make a "cultural shift" away from being a force designed for high intensity combat and instead make protecting Afghan civilians their first priority.

Thousands clash with police in Tehran
TEHRAN, Iran -- Security forces swinging batons and firing tear gas clashed Wednesday with demonstrators who ignored a new demand by Iran's supreme leader to end nearly two weeks of protests and accept the disputed results of the country's June 12 presidential election.